Display case



Mamas Sept. u, 1923i Filed Oct. 17. 1921 Patented Sept. l1, 1923.

tiene MANFRED IVIEYBERG, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO GERMAIN SEED .AND PLANT COMPANY, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALI- FORNIA.

DISPLAY CASE.

Application filled October 17, 1821.

T 0 all fw hom t may concern Be it known that I, MANFRED MEYBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Display Cases, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cases of the character employed for holding a series of seed containing envelopes or other like parcels or packets, and an object of the invention is to provide a case that can be conveniently used for display of the contents of the case.

Another object is to make provision for folding the case so that it is in convenient form for shipping and storage. K y Another object is to make provision for mounting a series of trays in such manner that they can be lowered into a receptacle and the cover of the receptacle closed, or

positioned in stepped relationvso that each tray and its contents is visible from the front of the device. f

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a case embodying the invention, the parts being in the positions they occupy when the case is in use.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the case, portions of the box or container being broken away to disclose the parts within. The parts are in the same positions as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section ofthe case, with the trays in lowered position within the container.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line indicated by 4 4 Fig. 3, the parts being in the folded or closed positions.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmental section on line indicated by 5-5 Fig. 2.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmental plan section on line indicated by 6 6 Fig. 2.

There is provided a box or container of any suitable shape, rectangular in the in' stance shown and comprising end walls 7, a rear wall 8, and a front wall comprising a stationary section 9 and a movable section 10 which is hinged at 11 to the section 9. The container also comprises a bottom 12', a cover or lid 13 hinged at 14 to the back member 8, and movable aps 15 hinged at 16 to the end members 7. The flaps 15 constitute abutments to prevent closing of the Serial No. 508,114.

of the hooks 17 are at right angles to the flaps 15 so that they may be readily engaged with the eyes 18 by first raising the lid 13 into the position shown in Fig. 3 and then opening out the flaps 15 so that the end portions of the` hooks pass into the eyes. The

hooks and eyes 17, 18 constitute one form l of cooperating means detachably connecting the lid and flaps. TheA lid 13 ispreferably provided with a flange 19 which overlaps the end walls v7 and front section 10 of the container when the lid isin the closed position shown in Fig. 4.

Within the container is mounted a series of longitudinal extending trays 20 which are channelor trough-shaped. The trays 2() are pivoted at each end at 21 to a pair of' parallel-motion bars 22, which constitute means movably connecting the trays for simultaneous operation. The pivots in each end of each tray are in vertical alinement so that the trays will not be caused to tilt when moved from their closed positions, indicated in Figure 3, to their open positions, as in Figure 2.

The foremost tray 20 is secured by any suitable means to the bottom 12 of the container, in the instance shown, the fastening means being bolts 23. Thevopposite ends of the rearmost tray 2O are provided with laterally extending hooks 24 adapted to catch upon the upper edges of the flaps 15 when the flaps are in the raised positions.

` These hooks 24 are shown thus engaged in Figs. l and 2 of the drawings. When the hooks 24 thus engage the flaps 15, the bars 22 will be held. in the inclined positions shown clearly in Fig. 2, thus holding each successive tray, beginning with the second from the front, at a greater elevation than the next tray in front or, in other words. holding the trays in stepped relation. The trays are s0 spaced along the bars 22 that, when the bars are in the inclined positions shown in Fig. 2, the lower front corner of each is adjacent the upper rear corner of the tray immediately in front thereof. Thus,

when seed packets or the like are placed within the trays, the packets inanypar-v ticular tray can be readily inspected without raising them as would be neeessary'if the= stepped construction were Anot provided:

The flaps 15, hooks'l, 24, eyes18, and bars 22 together constitute cooperating means between the lid and the trays to -hold` the lid in open position and to hold the trays in stepped position.'

When the hooks A24C are released from thev lapsl the' trays Vcan bedropped within the. lower portion ot the receptacle and, when.`

thus. positioned, the trays are separated from one another by 'spaces 25,',and rest upon the bottoinotthe container; The stationary,1

section 9 'is of substantially noy greater' height than. the front tray 20,' so that' when the secs tionl() is `opened`,`as inFigs. 1 and 2, the

upper portions of packets placed within `said tray can' be'readily `observed `from vposition in front of the case'.l y

In practice, the various movable fparts of the :case will be placed inthe 'folded posi- K tions'indicated in lFig. 4, when the case ist-0 be shipped or stored." llliiscasethus 'folded is convenienti fora wholesaler o-f'plantseeds to distribute tothe various' seed retailing houses'tor retailing of the wholesaler@ seeds. ,v

VVhenthe retailer receives the case, yhe will raise the lid 13, open out the 'lla'ps 15.l and engage the hooks 17 with rthe eyeslStov hold the lid 13 against closingoropening any wider, and he will then grasp the rear-I most tray 2O and raise the same suiiiiently highr so that he may engage the hooks 2A over the upper edges of the flaps 15. He will also lower the front' sectionlO, and` the case isthen 'incondition for exhibiting seed packets that may be placed within the trays.

It is tov be understood that whenfthe case-v` is shipped'thel seed packets may be placed in trays and shipped with the case.,`4 so that when the case is opened by the merchant, the goods will be immediately on display. Thus the case'afl'o'rds'convenient means for wholesalers oi". seeds and the like placing with .retailers the seedpackets and a 'suit-able holder for exhibiting them in a neat manner to the customers of the retail merchant.

Itl will be understood 'from the forego-ing description, that the case is of Very simple and "durable construction, land that it may be 'readily opened for display of the goods.

I :claim:

Iii `a display case,^the" combination of al containerv having a lid,ila`ps hinged to the ends of the container, cooperating meansbe tween the flaps and lidfengageable by out-y ward swinging of the laps to detachably' connect the lidand flaps, traysin-the container, means movably connecting the' trays 'for simultaneous operation, "Pand, cooperating means between the liaps and'one of the trays to hold the flaps against Ainward swing- 

